missing YOU

I've neglected you far too long marie&lola and it's come with a huge price but it's only because of the holidays and all the hoopla that comes with it. I promise to be back as soon as the holidays are over. I'm never completely ME if i don't write. It's a part of who I am. So what have I noticed lately??? Well...the wealthy are still wealthy and spending money like they did before, the middle class is almost nonexistent and the poor are...well...still poor. My one wish for Christmas is for America to rebound and be as healthy as She was before. That's the idealism in me and it will never fade no matter what. I hope everyone enjoys the holidays along with tons of peace, joy and harmony. I'm sure that's what this season should be about and however you find it, as long as you find it, is all that matters. I'll be back in full bloom when the holidays end. I promise. So happy holidays! Cheers! And enjoy! I'll leave you with this: think about the happiness that you can give others instead of what you can get from them. Feliz Navidad!

time to pass GO

I've been pretty busy these past few weeks so forgive me, I haven't had much time to update my blog with movies, fashion and literature. I'm trying my hardest to get my thoughts out there before I drift off into never never land so today I figured I'd blog a little about me. What about me is so important you ask? Well, I'm a writer and I sincerely admire that fact about me. It's a hard art to cultivate but as I look back on my old high school journals to my current entries, I'm impressed with the tremendous growth I've accomplished. Life really is all about moving forward so perhaps in 5 years I'll look at this entry and feel even more motivated to finally finish my 3rd (unfinished) novel. I wrote this poem recently and since I've been forced to stretch and bend outside of my normal passive routine, I thought why not. So here it is, Poem 8:15/9:37:

8:15/9:37

DO NOT PASS GO

I keep hearing it

Like a beautiful metaphor

Reminiscent of my childhood demons

Quiet and acquiescent

Yet always

Refusing my right

To grow

My reluctance

Not to pass

Has suffocated

My inner Ángel

At the most inopportune times

Leaving her twisted and torn

Bruised

And forlorn

This unwillingness

To move on

Has transformed

Morphed

And become

My marathon

Mi carrera

Mi lucha

My triathlon

I want to

I need to

I have to

Passing GO

Is all that I know

How

To

Do

DO NOT PASS GO…

It is whispered amongst the shadows

Proudly proclaiming my name

Haunting my dreams

And wrapping its legs around

My fantasies

But like all childhood demons

It’s time I said good-bye

Because

The woman

That stares back at me now

Is finally ready

To

Kiss

The sky…

Genez

Okay, so let's break this down. My first thought when writing this piece was of my childhood memories playing Monopoly. It's everybody's goal to pass GO, collect $200 and perhaps acquire a nice piece of real estate on Boardwalk or Park Place. Throw up some hotels, charge heavily for staying there, live happily ever after and win the game. As children, it's never impossible to become who you want to be but along the way all kinds of detours pop up. Once you venture into the real world, you're told to STOP. Stop dreaming, stop imagining, stop believing and most importantly, stop being YOU. Like Monopoly, you're penalized for wanting anything more than the crappy little places adjacent to Baltic Avenue. But, the little girl inside of me, Genez, wants to break out of those confined boundaries and accomplish something that no one has ever done before. She wants to be a legend but she often becomes paralyzed because of the messages she's collected along the way. Part of me is screaming for freedom, the other part often finds comfort in complacency. Throughout the years this imbalance has been tried and tested by situations where my growth is not only necessary, it is mandatory. This poem is all about fighting against the constraints because, after all, Park Place is obtainable. As the poem ends, it is a stark reminder that anything is possible. After all, "the woman that stares back at me is finally ready to kiss the sky". Enjoy!

Neuva York

I've been missing for a week but it's only because I've been in New York on business. I've had a whirlwind affair with New York since I can remember. Everything about that place pushes me beyond the possibility of accomplishing all of my dreams. It's a city that comes alive every time I visit. I am always pushed to pursue and discover the greatest part of who I am now and who I will soon become. In other words, it's my aphrodisiac. I'm allowed to transform and become inspired ten times over as I walk the streets, rediscover the architecture and experience the beauty of dedication over and over again. There's nothing that I don't love about New York, except maybe the trash, but even then that aspect pales in comparison to what I gain. It's almost magical for me, like fairy tales, and it's a concept that I don't ever want to lose. So, I'm saying all of this to say that although I've been gone for a week, I've learned more than I'd hoped in such a short period. My views have been sharpened and one of the major lessons is the aesthetics of beauty. It is everywhere and it's impossible to gauge, cage or judge. It's one of those things that can be found in everything if you just look around. With that in mind, my intent is to take my recent trip, along with all the information I received, and let it infuse my work, my perceptions and my future. It's the best of both worlds. I plan to let the past fuse with the future and grow beyond my own confined borders. Did I mention I LOVE New York?!